To Live Without You
by x-greeneyesy-x
Summary: How does a sixteen year old girl live without her mother?


**To live without you**

How does a sixteen year old girl live without the most important person in her life? Her best friend, her hero… her mum.

Lexie was a small girl living in a big city. Lexie lived in the heart of London with her mum, Jane. Lexie's skin was as soft as silk. Her eyes were magnificent, intense blue orbs. Her hair was an untamed blonde mess with the occasional red streak to go with her fiery personality. Lexie was a strong willed young girl with a heart of gold.

Two months ago Lexie stood broken beside her dying mother wishing the past seven months had been a lie. Her mother Jane was her hero. She had raised Lexie single-handedly as her father was never around. Jane worked two jobs just so that Lexie could have the best of everything. Being a strong woman, Jane did not take charity from anyone. She could cope with a child on her own; she wouldn't be the first or the last.

Nine months earlier Jane was told she had breast cancer. She told no one. Jane had always been alone, never had anybody to help her. She went through treatment for five long, strenuous months by herself until they finally told her the treatment was not working. Jane's world crashed before her eyes. How would she tell Lexie? Who would look after her when she was gone? How could her sixteen year old daughter cope with out a mother?

Jane built up the courage to tell Lexie one evening in the winter. They were sprawled across Jane's bed watching their favourite programme together.

"Honey, you know that I would never intentionally leave you don't you?" Jane spoke slow and softly.

Lexie turned her head to glance at her mum." Of course I know that, why are you saying this mum? What's wrong?"

Jane gradually hauled her deteriorating body upright to gaze intently into her daughter's eyes. "Lexie, honey. Five months ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer; I've been having treatment for the past five months." Jane reached for her daughter's trembling hands. "The treatment isn't working Lexie." Tears escaped from both their eyes. At that moment it had finally dawned on Jane. She was dying.

The next few months were tough and wearing. Jane's body slowly became frail and feeble. Lexie watched her mother; the strong willed women who had always been her rock turn into a woman who now relied on her sixteen year old daughter. Their roles had been reversed; Lexie was the one supporting both herself and her mother. They spent every day with each others company spending the last few moments with each other, both wishing they had longer. They would spend every Sunday laid on Jane's bed watching her favourite movies. They would laugh, cry and quote movie lines together until they fell asleep; Lexie wrapped up in her mother's arms like she was a small child again as if the Cancer never existed.

Lexie was in her final year at school, she was battling the stress of exams and coursework. As much as her exams were important, her dying mother was more so. Jane had been spending her time resting at home pondering how her daughter would cope. Lexie was an intelligent young girl with her whole life in front of her and Jane did not want her death to effect what she could become.

In the early June, Lexie walked into her mother bedroom and kissed her sleeping head. Lexie went to school thinking of her fading mother and how long she would have left with her mother. Each moment was sacred, neither one of them knew when Jane's time would be up. Lexie sat hunched over her table writing furiously trying to get her exam finished in time. A tall haunting man stood in front of Lexie's desk.

"Alexis, you need to come with me" the man said in a whisper so no one could hear.

Lexie's stomach clenched she knew it was something to do with her mother. She gathered her bag and walks out with the man where she saw her mother's friend with red swollen eyes.

"Lexie, your mum has been taken to the hospital. You need to be there" her mother friend said trying not to break into fresh tears.

The car journey was silent and discomforted. They arrived at the hospital; Lexie was taken to her mother's room.

"You can go in Lexie, I'll be outside."

Lexie rushed to her mother's side and took hold of her skeletal hand in hers. Jane opened her eyes to see her distraught daughter looking at her.

"Honey, don't cry." Jane squeezed her hand. "We knew this day would come, it just arrived earlier than we would like." Some tears escaped Jane's eyes.

Lexie shook her head in denial, she had prayed this day would never come; the day she would have to say goodbye to the most important person in her life.

Lexie spent the next hour laid on the bed with her mum. She didn't want to let go of her. She wanted this moment to last forever. Jane held her daughter for the last time; she looked at Lexie in her arms.

"I love you Lexie" Jane said with tears hitting the top of Lexie's head.

"I love." Jane's eyes closed and the sound of the monitor hit the room. Lexie speedily sat up to look at her mum. Doctors came rushing in pushing Lexie to the side of the room. They tried for twenty long minutes to revive Jane. .

Lexie stepped towards her mother's body. She looked peaceful and all the pain from the past few months had disappeared. Lexie had never felt so alone. She had no one.

How does a sixteen year old girl live without her mother… she doesn't, she survives.


End file.
